


Don't Fake This

by CyrusSW



Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dubious Consent, M/M, Rating May Change, Tags Are Hard, Twisted morals, black is sus, lot's of swearing, mild manipulation in later chapters, most tags are for later chapters, orange is anxious, others are mentioned just not as prominent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:47:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27698512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyrusSW/pseuds/CyrusSW
Summary: Orange just wanted to work on this ship, get paid, and go home, but a looming threat pulls him into a desire so great that even he fears himself. Is he falling in love, or is he falling into his place?
Relationships: Black/Orange (Among Us), Crewmate/Imposter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	1. Foreboding

The expanse of space felt empty, cold, and unforgiving. The stars nothing but meek reminders of how far from home he was. Orange looked out the window of The Skeld with little interest as the other crew members mingled and attempted to converse, aside from Black that is. He stood off to the side, gaze traveling the crowd but not interacting.

Orange stepped away from the windows, a chill over his skin as that gaze landed on him. Something… unsettled him, like a foreboding message. Stay away. So he moved to sit at one of the large tables in the cafeteria, making no move to reciprocate the greeting Pink gave him. 

Orange scanned the group again, watching as White and Blue seemed to primarily converse with one another, while Red, Yellow, and Purple stayed close in a group. Lastly Brown, Green and Cyan sat at a table far away from the crowd. Where was Lime? Orange could have sworn they were here a moment ago.

Black wasn't over by the door anymore. He seemed to have disappeared as well while Orange was distracted. The looming presence that filled him with so much unease being absent seemed to only make his hair stand on end. Where was he?

Lime entered the room again, their air authoritative. They were in charge of this mission, if he recalled correctly. They walked over to the center table and addressed the Crewmates with a welcoming gesture. Orange sat straight, eyes taking one last glance for Black's presence.

Nothing.

"Good afternoon, and welcome to The Skeld. I understand that for nearly every single one of you, besides Green, this is your first mission with MIRA, as well as your first time away from earth. You may address me as Lime, I'll be acting as Captain for this mission, Green as my second in command." Lime gestured a hand towards Green, the man standing to join them at the head of the cafeteria.

Green was a towering presence, one of the tallest among the crew aside from Black. He didn't need to be out of his suit for his muscular body to be obvious. His stance held structure, and power. Orange nearly jumped out of his skin as Black suddenly sat beside him, helmet turned in his direction as if he were silently requesting permission to sit there. Orange stiffly looked back to their captains.

"Hello everyone, you may address me as Green, your second in command! I will assist our Captain in finishing up this brief meeting as I'm sure you all are itching to go to your quarters and relax. Every day, starting tomorrow, you will be supplied tasks to make sure the ship is in perfect condition. We recommend you buddy up as to get them done faster, and simply to make sure you aren't alone in the event there should be a malfunction, or an accident." Green continued to list off things as Orange mindlessly listened. 

He soon lost focus though, as he noticed Black… staring at him. Was he? It was difficult to tell with their helmets, but he could feel the gaze. Black's helmet was turned ever so slightly, like he was watching the other man out of the corner of his eye. When Orange fully turned to address the other, Black simply looked ahead again. It made Orange feel… sick.

"Can I… help you?" Orange decided to continue his confrontation, because this guy was creeping the hell out of him. "You keep… staring? Did you need something? Have a question?" He kept his voice level, he didn't want to start making enemies so soon. Not on the first day at least, although he doubted it would take long for someone to dislike him.

"... You…", Black's deep, gravel voice reached his ears and it almost made Orange shiver, it was intense, and made him feel like he should run. "Wanna buddy up for tasks?", Black turned his torso to face him, even through the dark tint of his helmet, Orange could feel those eyes, ever present, like they were sizing him up.

Buddies? He wanted to be work buddies? Did that question really require the amount of uncomfortable staring he had to undergo? 

"... Okay. Yeah sure, why not?" There really wasn't a reason for Orange to say no, it's not like Black was an asshole, or went out of his way to be rude. He just seemed… awkward. If Orange really didn't enjoy being around Black, he could always request they change. As long as Black kept himself in check, though, he doubted it would have to come to that.

The crew were dismissed, Green and Lime leaving through the southern door to make their way to the admins quarters. Orange watched as the rest dispersed, all seeming to head off to the Crewmates sleeping quarters, he figured he may as well follow as well, standing and stretching. He watched out of his peripheral as Black seemed to wait for him to head out first, body steeled, sitting with his hands placed palm down on the cafeteria table.

Weird. Creepy.

Orange shrugged off the odd behavior and followed the corridor to the Crew's quarters. The rooms were separated into two, generally to make sure everyone had enough space. Orange sat heavily onto the bed assigned to him, heaving out a weary sigh. Most of the crew now rested on their beds, chatting among each other, knowing soon they would have to go to sleep. Orange himself would be turning in early, they all had to be up and doing their tasks first thing in the morning.

Black strode into the room, posture stiff, almost like he was uncomfortable, then settled into the bed in the far corner opposite to Orange. He kept to himself, head turning to scan the room, watching the others but not moving to interact with them; Orange was almost certain that the few words Black spoke to him were all the man had said so far.

Soon the crew all began to remove their suits and helmets for bed, the thought made Orange insecure. He did not want to be seen by these strangers, especially not without any coverage. He caved after a moment, undoing the latches on his helmet and pulling off, exposing short, wavy black hair and glasses that shielded blue eyes. Looking around, he had not expected some faces to match the voices they carried, then his eyes landed on Black, removing his own helmet.

Then those steel colored eyes were staring right back at him, graley, dull. He had sharp features, a chiseled face and equally grey hair. The thing that frightened Orange was how intensely Black was staring at him, his face almost void of emotion before one corner of his lips quirked upward, and he waved.

Orange looked away immediately, removing the rest of his suit and getting under the covers, turning over to face the wall. He could still feel grey eyes burning holes through the flesh of his back, it made him itch, made his hair stand on end and it took everything in him to tune it out. To tune out the quiet chatter of his Crewmates, to tune out the pounding that thundered in his chest.

Orange didn't get enough sleep.

The following morning the buzzing of the Crew's alarm went off, waking them far too early for any of their liking. Orange groaned brashly, throat sore for no other reason than to start his day off with shit. He sat slowly, running his hand through inky hair and stretching until at least _something_ popped. Orange climbed out of his bed, placing his glasses on his face, he was about to pull on his suit when a chilled hand came to rest on his shoulder. He started, turning fast to face whoever it was, eyes widening when of course it was Black.

The man was still in his underclothes, his eyes seemed… softer, a normal smile gracing his sharp face. He looked normal, maybe Orange was just hallucinating yesterday? He looked back up and down, eyes coming to rest on the taller man's. They were no longer reminiscent of cutting steel, but now reminded him of dark clouds that promised rain, but maybe that rain wasn't unwanted.

"Orange… Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Black's voice still reminded Orange of rough gravel, like the sound when you drag your feet along concrete. "Were you still okay with partnering up for our tasks?" Orange stopped, this was it. Black was giving Orange an out and he would be stupid not to take it.  
All he had to do was say no and he wouldn't have to be partnered with the man that unnerved him so terribly last night.

Guilt crawled up Orange's through and settled heavily on his tongue. Black hasn't _actually_ done anything wrong. All that had happened was Orange overthinking every look and action Black performed. He wanted to let out a bitter laugh as he recalled the only thing Black had actually done, he smiled and waved.

"... Yeah, I'm still okay with it, I feel like we'll get along fine." They would, Orange knew they would. Black was quiet, he was quiet. Their jobs wouldn't be filled with unnecessary talk and distraction. They would get their tasks done and get on with their days until the ship reached its destination. It will all be fine.

The crew pulled on their suits, and helmets in a comfortable silence, some lagging behind and finishing their morning routines. Orange was waiting out in the hall for Black, watching as colored suit after colored suit filed out in pairs. Finally black stood in front of him, the suit made him more of a towering, menacing presence, Orange would have to get used to it. Black took out his tablet, and pulled up their tasks. He seemed to scan them over before speaking.

"We both have tasks in Storage. So we should head there first. Then Medbay for specimens… is that alright?", Black peered down at Orange through his visor, waiting approval. Orange simply nodded his head and pulled out his own tablet, pulling up the map. The ship was large and easy to get lost in, at least that's what Green had said.

"Okay, let's go then. Then we'll hit our separate tasks one by one.", Orange moved first, Black following close behind as the two made their way to storage. He tried to push back the nagging feeling that Black was _staring_ at him again. It was a creeping feeling building up, the longer he was certain it was happening. Like an omen.

Orange shook the feeling off as they entered, berating himself silently for, again, being suspicious of someone that really hadn't done anything wrong. Orange breathed out a long sigh and went to the wiring panel. "I need to make sure the wires are in order, you have to eject the waste and garbage, right?"

Black simply nodded and went to the other end of the large storage area, disappearing behind the large amount of cargo and boxes. Orange leaned a bit to see if he could still see his partner, with no luck, before going back to the wires. He heard nothing but silence.

Orange slapped the panel shut once he finished and went around the corner to find Black simply staring at the lever. "Black.", The taller man jumped at hearing his name and snapped his head over to look at him. "What are you doing? Just pull the lever."

Black seemed to regard him for a moment, just… staring. Then he nodded his head. "Right, I'm sorry I was… spacing out." He yanked the lever down with ease, and the two watched as garbage floated out into space. 'Spacing out'? Was he serious?

"Spacing out? Was that supposed to be a pun?" Orange stared at him incredulously, and Black was silent for a moment. Then the man chuckled, then laughed. It was a sound Orange hadn't heard before, it was… attractive.

"Sorry, I guess that was pretty corny, huh?" Black stepped closer, voice lifting with amusement, and suddenly, all the bad feelings Orange had, just vanished. Because he started laughing, too. Right, Black was just a normal guy, just like him, they were just here to make money, then go back home.

"Hey, I made you laugh, so it was worth it." Black placed a hand on his shoulder as he spoke, and Orange couldn't tell if his chest twisted in mild affection, or mild fear. Either way he pushed the feelings down and smiled.

Orange gently patted a hand on Black's arm, "Yeah, okay, Mr. Corny. Let's head over to Medbay." The two made their way up to the cafeteria, and over to the medical station, it was stark white and it made doing tasks a little more unnerving. Specimens took way too long and at some point Orange flopped into one of the beds and groaned, this was going to be a long day.

-

The rest of their tasks were just like that, too long, or just a pain in the ass. They got them done though, at least, Orange thought they did. Until he turned around from calibrating in Electrical to find himself alone. Black wasn't there. Not behind the wall, not out in the hallway. Gone.

"Black? Where are you? We are supposed to stay together, you ass!" There was nothing, so he sighed and finished his only other task in that godforsaken room, ignoring the anxiety building in his stomach. Then there was the roaring sound of a siren, Orange yanked out his tablet and saw that it was an emergency meeting.

What?

Orange nearly shrieked as hands planted themselves on his shoulders, whirling around and almost cracking helmets with Black. Black, was here? Where the fuck did he go? Orange voiced his thoughts just as elegantly. "Where the fuck were you, Black? I was scared half to death! Don't ever leave me alone in this room again!" Orange berated him as they jogged to the cafeteria.

"Sorry, I had to use the bathroom." Black said it as if it were obvious, then, "You were… scared? Sorry, again, I'll stay with you from now on." Orange felt heat rise in his face, both from embarrassment that he hadn't thought of the man having normal bodily functions and needing to piss, and the way Black promised to stay with him.

Everything washed away from his mind as they entered the Cafeteria, Pink was in hysterics, Blue was shouting at Red, who was shouting right back. Everything was absolute chaos and Purple was nowhere to be found.

Orange rushed over to Pink, placing what he hoped was a consoling hand on their shoulder. "Pink?! What the hell is going on, are you alright?" They hugged themselves tight and looked up at him. Even through their visor he could see their eyes were wide, terrified even.

"I-It's Purple! They’re dead!"


	2. Disorder

Orange felt their stomach drop at the words. He couldn't have heard that right, could he? Purple was just as amicable and alive as they were this morning. They had to be, how could someone be dead in just a matter of hours? Orange leaned a little closer to Pink. 

"W-What did you say…?" Orange glanced around the room, he felt a mild panic building up in his core, it was the same feeling as when he first saw Black, and when he first set foot on this ship. Before Pink could repeat themselves Blue stormed over.

"Purple is fucking dead! Someone ripped their fucking head off of their body, and where the hell were you two?" Blue punctuated his shouting by jabbing a finger hard into the center of Orange's torso. "Why are you and Mister Shady over there the last ones to get here?!" Blue was going to continue his tirade, but stopped as Black slapped a harsh hand on his shoulder.

"We were in Electrical when the alarm went off, we were farther away so of course it took us a bit longer to get here. Leave him alone." Black's voice was deep, serious. Its tone left no room for argument, but Blue wasn't one to heed warnings. He turned his head to Black, stance tense and panicked.

"Well, isn't that just convenient for you! It probably took you both so long because you were cleaning off the evidence!" A few heads turned, looking at Blue in shock. Was he blaming this heinous act on two of their Crewmates? Blue shoved Black away harshly. "This definitely wasn't a fucking accident! So it had to be one of us, right?!"

Chaos broke loose, suddenly nobody wanted to be near one another, panicked murmurs rose as soon everyone was looking at their Crew, their friends, with suspicious gazes. The doors slid open on the south end as Lime and Green strode through, steps purposeful, they held an air of authority once again, only this time it mixed with grim concern.

"Silence! Everyone get back in your seats! Nobody is leaving this room until we get to the bottom of this!" Lime's voice was hoarse, and wet with worry and unshed tears. This was obviously not the way things were supposed to go. Green had a bracing, comforting hand on their shoulder.

Everyone filed into seats, close in the pairs they had chosen, that made sense. They were the only people they were constantly with right? Orange suddenly felt cold. They had all stayed in pairs, so they had alibis. Yet there was an unknown amount of time that Orange was alone. 

_'Of course you idiot, because Black had to go to the bathroom! That doesn't make him responsible.'_

Orange let out a breath and dug his fingers into his thighs. Black went to the bathroom, that's all it was. He couldn't just put blame on him, that wasn't enough evidence against him to speak up. Orange guiltily pushed those suspicions down, and turned his attention to Lime, ignoring how close Black had sat to him.

"First, I must address that yes, Purple… is dead. Their body was found in Navigation, the head ripped clean off." They stood tall and strong, but everyone could tell how unnerved they were. "And, no. There is no way this was an accident, none of the equipment in Navigation could cause this kind of… death."

Panicked shouts rose again, only to fall as Green lifted his hand, a signal for them all to fall silent. He picked up the announcement. "What Lime is saying, as I'm sure you're all aware, is that… it is highly likely, if not a fact, that the person, or creature, that killed Purple is among us, in this room, right now." Red stood, slamming her hands on the table.

"What do you mean _creature_?! What are you saying?!", She swept her gaze across the room, looking at everyone one at a time. "I'm pretty sure we're all people, what aren't you telling us?" Green breathed in a deep sigh, moving to speak, only to stop as Lime held up their hand.

"What Green is saying is that, in the past, there have been reports of… unknown lifeforms boarding MIRA ships and attacking the crew… Although the last incident was nearly 18 years ago, it… it _could_ be a possibility!" Lime was fully prepared for the next outburst, and slammed their hand on the emergency button, the alarm drowning out the commotion until it all fell silent again.

"Please, let us finish! We are not going to solve this any sooner by lashing out and creating disorder!" They sighed heavily, head hanging for a second before they spoke again. "I need you all to understand the severity of this. Someone on this ship murdered one of our Crewmates, this means that we must all be on guard. Now, we do have an option for discovering the killer, we keep a watchful eye, if anyone sees anything suspicious you report it by hitting the emergency meeting button, and we'll all meet here."

White spoke up, voice small as she raised her hand. "T-Then what…? What if we find the murderer?" Lime stared at her for a moment, then. They spoke, voice grim as Green braced both hands on their shoulders, he was stony and silent as Lime said the words that shocked them all.

"We hold a vote, and then… we can eject the individual out of the airlock. It's the only option." Orange was expecting some sort of reaction, but silence was not it. Lime continued. "It _needs_ to be based on evidence! We cannot wildly accuse people and plunge innocent lives out into space to die. Is that understood? These… aliens, they can change their biology to look like us, so we have no way to know for sure. All we can do is hope we can catch it in the act."

Red spoke again, voice filled with fire. "And what if it wasn't an 'alien'? What if a person did this?!" Lime was about to speak, but Blue beat them to it, while Red's voice was filled with heat, and fire, his was cold, and icy.

"No way… we… Purple and I were only separated for a few moments! There was no way a human could have done that so quickly, and then gotten away without leaving some sort of eviden-", Blue was cut off by Red's outburst.

"Were you not just accusing Orange and Black?! Now you're saying it's aliens?! You're ridiculous, how do we know it wasn't you? You were Purple's partner after all!" Several Crewmates nodded and shouted in agreement, Blue barking back in an attempt to defend himself.

"Maybe the two of them teamed up, I don't know! It wasn't me though, we separated because I had a task in Shields! They went to navigation- I-... I was just down the hall, I thought they would be safe!" Blue fell silent as accusing eyes fell on him, his words met with silence.

Lime finally spoke up. "That's enough. We don't have any evidence against Blue, Orange, or Black, and we will not be voting now, we don't have anything, and we can't risk losing an innocent life again." 

"So what?! We just wait for another person to die? Yeah that sounds really smart." Red spoke harshly, but several crewmates nodded in agreement. She had a point, but so did Lime. Green held up his hand, still steadying Lime with the other.

"Enough, we don't intend to let that happen, from now on there will be stricter rules, no one is to be without their buddy, if you go to the restroom, you go together, no arguments." Orange casted a glance at Black, who nodded and seemed to place an apologetic hand on his shoulder.

"Lime and I will be posted guard while you all sleep, we'll take shifts. Lastly, if anyone is caught alone there will be consequences, as well as the fact that it could cost you your life. Blue, pair up with another group. Everyone to your beds, that's all for today." He led himself and Lime back to Admin, leaving the crew in stunned silence.

Black stood, lowering a hand to Orange, who could only stare at it. He shouldn't, not now, not when he still sort of suspected him, but the feeling of security that washed over him at the gesture made Orange take it. He was pulled to his feet and he followed as Black made his way to their sleeping quarters.

Slowly, the rest of the crew followed suit, with Blue requesting to join Pink and Yellow, and being surprised when he was met with warm acceptance. Everyone was on edge, and Pink didn't blame him for his outbursts. He and Purple had to have at least enjoyed one another's company to partner up, so he must have been hurting.

-

Orange could not sleep, it was impossible. The events of earlier ran through his mind, on top of the fact that Navigation was closed off when they walked by it, it was horrifying to think about. He sat up and decided to walk around, clear his head. Rules be damned he wasn't waking up Black to do so.

Stepping out into the hall he was shocked to see Pink. Their eyes shot over to him, frame tense before realizing who it was, relaxing, they began to make their way over to him. This was Orange's first time seeing them out of suit. Their short blue hair was unexpected, but it suited them, along with thick rimmed glasses almost like his own.

"Orange, sorry did I wake you? I just… couldn't sleep." They relaxed more as Orange shook his head. "I'm glad… say, I wanted to thank you. For being my rock earlier when everything was falling apart, you didn't leave my side. I needed that. A lot.", They stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Pink… it's… really, don't thank me, I only did that because I could tell you needed it and, frankly, I did, too." He let out a surprised grunt as Pink hugged him tightly, quickly, before pulling back. They stepped back and moved toward the door to the room they were supposed to be in.

"Thank you… I mean it, let's watch out for each other okay? I know I can trust you… and you can trust me, too. Good night, Orange." They went back inside, leaving Orange in the hallway with a warm feeling settling in his chest. He gave up on wandering the halls, stepping back into his own room.

Black was sitting on his bed when he returned, and he froze. "Hey, Orange… where were you?" His voice was thick, and low, soft as to not wake the others. It sent a weird shiver down his spine. Those stormy eyes were locked onto his, lips tilted in a sharp grin. "I thought we were supposed to stick together."

"We… I… sorry. I just needed a moment. I can't sleep." Orange was half honest, making his way back over to his bed, wishing Black wasn't seated on it. He suppressed his yelp as Black pulled him to sit down beside him. His hands were always cold for some reason.

"Oh…? Are you okay? Scared?" Orange couldn't tell if he was genuinely concerned, or making fun of him. Black's face was no longer twisted in amusement and annoyance. It was stoic and blank, eyes giving nothing away. "You know I'll protect you, we're partners… right?"

Orange gave a full body shiver, unsure of how to respond to that; did he trust Black? Part of him did. Part of him knew that Black probably would protect him. What if he was wrong, though? "I… I am a little scared. I… what if the person is in here, right now?" 

Black was silent for a second, although it was long enough to unnerve Orange, before he spoke. "Don't worry. You'll be fine, I won't let anything bad happen to you." He stood, and made his way back over to his bed. "Get some sleep Orange. Good night." 

Orange slowly crawled back under his covers, his heart hammered, and suddenly he found himself wishing that Black had stayed over here, had stayed in bed with him. Wishing Black was holding him securely, whispering those same, comforting words. He didn't want to be sleeping alone tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote another chapter in a day o o p s


	3. Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a little shorter! Also these aren't grammar checked so let me know if anything is wrong.

Orange awoke to muffled arguing, the sounds struggling to penetrate the warm fuzz of sleep surrounding him. Who were these people, where was he? Slowly, everything became clearer, his bleary eyes opened, darting over as Blue and Red were, once again, arguing. Right, he was on the Skeld. A ship belonging to MIRA. He was on the Skeld, and yesterday a person died.

Orange shot up, eyes widening as the events of yesterday rushed back to him, Purple was dead, and Blue had accused him and Black. Purple was dead, and he and Pink were a little closer now. Purple is dead. Orange noticed that everyone was looking at him, and Brown and Cyan rushed over, the two seeming to sense his distress. Had he startled that badly?

Brown placed a soothing hand on his back, the other man was the definition of a softie with a scary face, while Cyan was an absolute sweetheart inside and out, she was someone who deserved to not have been here. "Are you alright, Orange? That was quite the jump you did…", Brown's words met his ears and he had to think back, he must have concerned his crewmates.

Orange assured them he was okay, and eventually asked for some space to get ready. He watched as Blue and Red avoided one another, pulling on his suit slowly before latching on his helmet. Today was going to be… well he wasn't sure. Awkward, scary, there was a killer on the ship and they just had to continue like it hadn't happened? Do their tasks and try not to worry they might be ripped apart like Purple?

Pink was in the hallway when he stepped out, Black silent at his side. They ran over and stood close. "Orange… let's try to stay close okay? Me and Yellow will try to move at the same pace as you and Black. That way we all have each other's backs, yeah?" Orange simply nodded, it was honestly the best option, the four of them together one of them would definitely know if something was wrong.

"That okay with you, Black?" Pink directed the question up to the taller man, who simply stared at them silently, before slowly nodding his head. Orange could tell it made Pink a little uneasy, so he placed on Black's arm, stating the man was just quiet. Everyone made their way to the cafeteria, knowing they should all start there for a, very likely, briefing from Lime and Green.

"Alright everyone, take a moment and calm down, I know what happened yesterday was… well it was unbearable, we're on a ship barrelling through space, trapped with someone, or something, that killed one of our crew… but we have a chance, we need to keep our eyes peeled, and keep The Skeld up and running. It's our only option. Stay in pairs, stay close to one another, do not let each other out of your sight!" Lime's voice was steadier than yesterday and they spoke with purpose once again.

Green watched them, ready to pick them up if they fell apart, as he took the lead. "You heard our captain, let's do this safely, okay? I have updated your tablets, it will now state who your partner is, as you all decided on day one, and your tasks have been updated to keep you and your buddy together as much as possible."

Orange glanced at Black, he found an odd comfort that they wouldn't be able to seperate as easily, after the incident last night he wanted anything else but to be alone. There was a chorus of murmurs as everyone checked their new tasks and grouped up with their buddies, Pink waving Blue over to them and Yellow.

Suddenly Black's large, chilled hand landed on Orange's shoulder, pulling him closer, "I promise I'll stay close if you promise, okay?" The gravelly voice sounded almost amused, he must have been referencing last night, when Orange went out to the corridor by himself. Guilt welled up, he had made such a fuss about Black going to the restroom.

"R-Right… I'll stay with you, promise." Orange meant it, too. He had no intention of being alone on this metal death trap. The crew coasted off and exited the cafeteria, some taking the west door, the east, and Black and Orange headed through the south, still having their storage tasks.

Orange connected the wires once again, listening as Black pulled the lever on the waste shoot. Orange chuckled to himself as that little pun came back to his memory. Looks like the man wasn't spacing out this time. He jumped a tad as Black appeared beside him, watching him as he connected the last wire and closed the panel.

"Alright, electrical next? We should get that nightmare room over with first." Black simply nodded at his words, taking the lead as they took the left hallway. Orange hated this place with a passion, it just always gave him a bad feeling. Like something was in the dark corners, waiting. 

Orange was silent as he began connecting the wires in the back of electrical. He tried to ignore the chill he felt. Was Black fixing the calibration? He chanced a glance over, the taller man was standing there, but he seemed to be having trouble. Orange slapped the panel closed and walked over. 

"It's tricky, huh? I heard Red complaining about it when she had this task yesterday. Here let me try." Orange pressed the buttons with precision timing, managing to get the mechanism working correctly. He smiled to himself and beamed up at Black, who placed both hands on the shorter man's shoulders.

"Thank you, I was… getting frustrated." Black's voice was tight and Orange found himself relaxing, his partner was starting to unwind and act a little more like a person. That was a relief. Maybe they can actually become friends. The two made their way out of Electrical and headed to the lower engine, coming across Pink, Blue and Yellow.

Pink waved animatedly upon seeing them. "Hey, you two! How are the tasks going? We saw a couple other Crewmates, but mostly things have been calm." They sounded relieved, like they thought something had happened to Orange and Black. "Glad to see you two in one piece, though."

Black nodded and gestured a hand to the two brightly colored crewmates, pointedly ignoring their third partner. "I'm glad you two are safe, as well." Orange was surprised he spoke up, considering he stayed silent almost all morning, unless they were alone. "Don't worry about Orange, I've been keeping him safe." 

Orange sputtered a bit as Pink nodded, seeming happy with that information. The five moved together afterwards, Blue a little reluctantly, doing all the tasks they were assigned room by room. Sticking close, so close that Black seemed almost awkward, at least until Orange patted his arm.

"Hey… you good? You seem tense." Black snapped his head towards him, then relaxed as he looked at Orange. The shorter male was looking up at him, helmet tilted in a questioning manner. Orange really intrigued him, he was always so jumpy and nervous it was almost endearing. Almost.

"I'm fine. Let's finish our tasks." With that Black turned and walked away, leaving Orange to frown and try to brush off the odd encounter, yet Black just seemed annoyed, uncomfortable, like he would rather be anywhere else than with them.

The five entered Medbay, Pink grinning as they hopped on the scanner, Orange hadn't had a scan task yet, and he watched in awe as it seemed to break down everything that made Pink, well, Pink. Blood type, height, weight, everything.

"Wow, I guess it's my turn, huh?" Orange was a little nervous as Pink stepped down and urged him onto the scanner. He wasn't surprised to feel absolutely nothing, but it was odd and a little weird nonetheless. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Orange saw Black leave Medbay, while they were all distracted, he hopped off once his scan was done and turned to Pink, "Hey uh, Black has to use the restroom, he left on his own though, I'll go meet up with him so he's not alone!" He didn't wait for an answer.

Orange raced down the hall, tucking his head into Security, Reactor, where was he? Lower Engine, nothing, his feet skidded to a stop to reluctantly check Electrical, not there either. Shaky legs brought Orange through Storage, and came to a slow, horrified stop at Communication's. 

Cyan, all of her kindness, her joy, this morning she was a light, and now she was splattered on the walls. Her body was clean in half, organs spilling onto the floor. Her helmet was shattered and her eyes stared into nothingness, bright blue now faded. Orange felt tears well in his eyes as his chest began to heave, struggling to take in air. This couldn't be real.

A shaky step took Orange into the room, eyes darting all over the room. Where was White? Where was her partner, they were supposed to be with her, to keep her safe. If they had been with her she would still be alive. Orange wasn't sure what happened, but he felt arms wrap around him and pull him away from the scene. Slowly dragging his smaller body down the hall, and back through Storage, and into Electrical.

Orange didn't stop him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hhhh okay, this is going to be the first chaptered fic I have ever written. I'm sorry if it's a little clunky, and I promise I will work my hardest to get this done! I'm really excited about this.


End file.
